candy crowley is at romney headquarters in boston. brianna, first to you. what's going on over there? >> reporter: we're on the floor at mccormick place, a convention center in downtown chicago, and supporters of president obama have just begun to come through the door and they're obviously staking out their position as close to the podium as possible. the campaign says they're expecting about 10,000 people here at this event and most of them i should tell you are chicago-based obama campaign volunteers. many of whom had to agree to do at least two canvassing shifts, voter canvassing shifts in nearby battleground states, iowa and wisconsin. >> candy is in boston. lot of folks already gathering behind you. >> reporter: they are. they started sort of the preliminary program, the pledge of allegiance, national anthem. we also heard from craig romney, who came over to talk to the folks here. as you can hear the music has started. but the number crunching, the watching the polls, the white knuckle time is going on in that suite. i talked to a senior advisor just